All specialist allergists in Australia are trained through the Royal Australian College of Physicians (RACP). There are two divisions of training:
Paediatric allergists train through the division of Paediatrics & Child Health. This includes three years of basic paediatric training followed by three years of advanced training in Paediatric Allergy and Immunology. After completing this training, paediatric allergists have spent a minimum of six years working with paediatric patients, including core rotations in newborn care and developmental paediatrics. They have a comprehensive understanding of how children grow and develop, including introduction to solids and feeding behaviour, and the challenges of adolescence.
In contrast, allergy specialists who are not paediatric allergists have trained for a minimum of six years with adult patients. They may have treated some paediatric patients in allergy clinics but this is not a requirement of their training. Each allergist can choose for themselves what age of patients they see in their practice regardless of their training experience.
Paediatric allergists bring expertise to all children, adolescents, and families that goes beyond their understanding of allergies.